Method and machine for cutting pineapple into strips



1,670,084 R. B. TAYLOR Filed June e, 192.7 l6 Sheets-Sheet l METHOD AND MACHINE FOR CUTTING PINEAPPLE INTO STRIPS- May 15, 1928.

R. B. TAYLOR May 15, 1928. Y 1,670,084

METHOD AND MACHINE FOR CUTTING PINEAPPLE INTO STRIPS Filed June 6, ,192.7 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 @Horne/1 May15,192s. l 1,670,084

. R. B. TAYLOR METHOD AND MACHINE FOR CUTTING PINEAPPLE INTO STRIPS piled June e, 1927 e sheets-sheet :5

I i l Z3 Je May 15,1928. V 1,670,084

R. B. TAYLOR METHOD AND MACHINE P OR CUTTING PINEAPPLE INTO STRIPS Filed June 6,*1927 e'sfheets-sheet '4 pi l l ff# li' 1| Il 3f m l May l5,l 1928.

R. B. TAYLOR METHOD AND MACHINE FOR CUTTING PINEAPPLE INTO STRIPS 6 Sheets-Sheet -5 Filed June 6, 1.927

www USES Q May l5, 1928.

R. B. TAYLOR METHOD AND MACHINE FOR CUTTING PINEAPPLE INTO STRIPS Filed June 6, 1927 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 22 there are produced a series of vertical vslots I27 and openingsv 28- and working .through these slotsv and openings are the cutting knives or ,blades 30 .arrangedilongitudnally in aframe 3l andupon the eX-y terior ofthe 'sides lof the frame thercmare.

arrangedin inclined order theangle ,irons 32 which work between" the rollers 33 car-n ried by horizontal members 34 of the 'sup-y porting frame previously referred to. These rollers 33 are mounted upon adjustable` blocks 35 slotted at 36 whereby adjustment can be. had for the purpose oftaking up wear. y

The frame 3l is reciprocated horizontally byV means of the pitman 37 which in'turn is operated vbythe lever 38 receivingfmotion from-a second..pitman 39 operatedfrom an downwardly.

eccentric 40 bythe shaft 41. Inasmuch as the framer 31 is provided with inclined guiding arms at. opposite sides thereof travelling between. the rollers 32, the frame' will have Aa movement transverse with reference yto the tube or ycylinder and the pineapple slice contained therein and 'also a movement longitudinal with reference to these parts,' that is ty say,'there will be both a horirv zontal vandat the same time a vertical movement.V n 1 l j Inasmuch', therefore, as the cutting kblades or knives workthrough the slots 'and openings 'in the tube or .cylinder the'downwardly moving slice will come in contact withA This first cutting operation cuts the pine- .apple slice into parallel strips land alsocuts on the side sectors indicated" at 40 and the side knives are each formed with downwardly extending portions 30il curved outwardly as shown and 'which direct the side sectors 40 ,out` through the openings 28 cut in the sides of the tube;v The upper portion ofthe tube is circular in shape to accommodate the circular shape of the superposed pineapple slices but vafterthe side sectors have been removed their Vplace is taken up by guide fillers 4l arranged at opposite sides of the interior ofthe tube or cylinder extending entirely to the bottom. At points in the cylinder belowv the slots 27 andfopenings28 I Aproduce openings 42 in which operate the.` rotary cutting knives 43 mounted upon the horizontal shafts 44 connected by a crossbelt 45 Yand ribbon from `the shaft 46 to the y 'endless-.chain 47. These rotary knives cut thecorners from the pineapple and discard 'carding the side .sectors which are cut oi` these slot-s 50 andopenings 5l being arrangedtransversely to the slots 27 and openings 28 in the; upper portion of the tube y80 yand working through these slots and openings are the cuttingknives52 arranged in a frame 53 reciprocated by means of a pitman 54, which in turn ris operated by. the... eccentric 55 mountedy on the shaft'46. The

umovement of the frame 53 is transverse to;A

that of the Vframe 3l and this frame isrv pro-` vided with angleiron guides exactly the same as the upper frame, these guides work- 1 ing between rollers carried alsoby the blocks f 35 yand connectedv to the lower horizontal v member of the'supporting frame. The side f knives ofthe lower frame are also provided with extensions 521for the purpose of; dis- `Y by the side knives leaving the slicein the i formindicated in Fig. 17. f

In practice I prefer to arrange the cutting blades or knives in staggeredrelation,` that' is, alternating one above the other as 'most/1U k'clearly shown in Fig. 9 as I have found that Asuch arrangement improvesthe cutting action and avoids all possibility of crowding. and tearing the pineapple. Below` the slots 50 and openings 5l the guide illers 48 occupy 105 the spaces of the removed cornersand there are additional side fillers 56 asxmost clearly"- f Y shown in Fig. 8 totake the place of the'side sectors removed-,by the side knives "of the y lower frame'. 'l 1 i v110 The centralvguide'tube' 23 is vpositioned in' the tube or cylinder 22 by means off-two parallel supports 60 which are secured to the' tube or cylinder 22- and Ypass through the' central guiding tube 23, these supports being as thinas the cuttingblades and'having their vupper edges sharpened so Ithat 'the divided slices'will pass `down betweenthem, andat the lower `end similar supports 61' are lprof vided arranged at right angles to thefsupports60. The cubed slices` drop upon the endless conveyor 62 and are `conveyed to the containers forpacking. The shaft 46 has a pulley`63 mountedupon the end thereof and bevel gears 64 transmit the motion from the 125 y "shaft 46 to the shaft 4l.

the working 'power shaft.

` It will be understood that certain changes parts aredrifvenfromy a single l vin the operatingV mechanism can be made 13 In this manner'all f Without-dpartager@luie ibi-aad fps-nepi@ of the inventionl sorlong i as the knife l carrying"tfrainesare-JreciprocatedV in' the manner hereinbefofre described, that isY lto say', given" both fthe l'transverse and vlolngitudina'l-v movement with reference `to the AmovingA Amass of and`I efiicient* methodl and apparatus-fy for" quickly subdividing f' the lslices ofA pineapple( intocubes of uniform size." Thevf peculiar 'l movement ofthe' knivesis vessential 1n order to prdvi'de ,arcl"ea'n,icle'ar,A uniform cut ofthe pineapple owingwtothe. peculiar fibrousnai tureror'Jtlie" sani/e".` f Any "suitable provision can be made for takingzwcare of the discarded-11.

side sectorsand corners "of tlie pineapple.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim is 1. The herein described method of cutting a plurality of pineapple' slices into cubes which consists in moving said pineapple slices in a definite direction and bringing the same into contact vvithknives arranged at right angles to each other, said knives having both transverse and longitudinal movements With reference to the movement of the pineapple slices. l

42. The herein described method of cutting a plurality7 of pineapple slices into cubes Which consists 'in moving a plurality of slices in a denite direction and bringing the same into contact with the cutting knives `recipvrocating in directions at right angles to each other, said knives vhaving simultaneous transverse and longitudinal movement with referenceto the movement of the pineapple slices.

8. The herein described method of cubing pineapple which consists in moving a series of pineapple sections through a container and bringing theminto contact With knives arranged at right angles to each other, said knives being moved vboth transversely and longitudinally with reference to the movement of the pineapple sections.

4. The herein `described process which consists in feeding a plurality of pineapple slices in a definite direction and bringing the same into Contact Withal series of recip- -rocating knives whereby the slices of pineapple are cut into strips and the side sectors discarded, removing the corners of the slices and finally bringing the strips intol contact With reciprocating knives whereby the strips are cut into cubes and the end sectors discarded. y

5. In an apparatus of the kind described vthe combination With a tube or cylinder through Which a plurality of superposed slices of pineapple are fed, cutting knives reciprocating through the tube, said cutting knives having both transverse and longitudinal movement With reference tothe movement of the pineapple slices, and a second set "andl ilongitudrnaflJ zmovementV with referen to the movement of4 the pineapplehslices fubmr cylinder at-(righeanglaise fthe-.Ersti y having both transverse and longitudinalif movement ivitli refe'rene'cfto the movement. ofthe" pineapplel-sl'iceai. l 7U f Gi `In an apparatus` of-- they kind described;- theI combinationf-Witlr atube: or f cylinder through' yWlxicha plurality of superposed 1 I slices. of pineapple are',passed,'recifprocating cutting fknives ',Worki-ng; lthroughl 'the ftub' LO15-"75 cylinder,v` said knives having botliitransvers" tary cutting knivesientering-lthetube =orfcyllf inder'i'atf' predetermined-'- points-i be'ldvv-E the.

reciprocating:knives and a seconde'setlctli'e-H p the combination With `a tube or` cylinder, of i Va central gui-ding tube, reciprocating cutting of reciprocating knives Working through the knives Working through 'the tube or cylinder and having a combined transverse and longitudinal movement, rotary cutting knives. entering the tube or cylinder at deiinite points below the reciprocatingv knives and a second fsetotreciprocating knives arranged below the rotary cutting knives, said lower cutting knives being arranged at-right angles tothe first named cutting knives and also having a combined transverse and longitudinal movement. f l

' 8. In an apparatus of the kind described, the combination with a tube or cylinder, of I i a central guiding tube, a plurality of cutting knives reciprocating' through the tube or cylinder and :having-a combined'transverse and longitudinal movement, rotary cutting knives entering the tube'` or cylinder at vdefinite pointsbelow the reciprocating knives, Vand a second set of reciprocating knives Working through the cylinder below the rotary cutting knives and vat right angles to the first named reciprocating knives, said `lower cutting knivesfalso having av combined transverse `and longitudinalinovement and guide strips arranged upon the interior of the tube or cylinder, to compensate for lthe portionsl ofthe pineapple slices removed by the reciprocating and rotary knives; y

' 9. In an apparatus of the kind described the combination with ay tube or' cylinder, of a series of cutting knives reciprocating through said tube or cylinder, rotary cutting knivesentering the tube or cylinder at detinite points below the reciprocating cutting f knives and a second set ofreciprocating knives Working throughv the tube or cylinder. and arranged at right angles to the firstl named cutting knives.l

10.'.Iny an apparatus of the'kind described, the combination vvWith Ia tube or Cylinder through jWhich a .plurality of lpineapple f tube or cylinder'vat right angles vto the first slices oanbe moved,-a plurality voit cuttingv knives Working through sai-d tube or cyllinder together-with means lfor giving said knives both a transverse and longitudinal movement with ret'erenvcefto the Amovement of they pineapple slices and a second set of reciprocating knives Working through Vthe named cutting knives together with means l a transverse and longitudinal movement.

for giving saidseoond setof cutting-knives 11. In an apparatus of the kind described,

i, the `combination With artube orgcylin'der, of arewciprocatingfrarne, means vfor imparting o signature.

,a transverseand longitudinal movement to.' said frame and a plurality ofcutting knives carried by said frame,y said cutting .knives extending through the tube or cylinder.r

12.111 an apparatusof the kind desoribed,

the .combination with a tube or cylinder,

roeatingin'y directions at right angles to'each other7 means for imparting both a transverse and Vlongit''ud'inal,finovernent toeaeh of said In testimony whereof, I hereunto. atix my RoBERT yBROOK-'s TAYLOR.l

of i an upper reciprocating trarne and a lovver` reci roeatinv traine the said ytrames reci-525v zr y a Y Y 

